Clever bugs use mimicry as predator defence

Local naturalist and photographer, Peter Woods, recently encountered a creature on South Creek Trail in Stanley Park that most of us seldom sees; a Douglas-fir pitch moth.

This moth is part of a family of moths called clearwing moths. They have transparent wings which make them quite difficult to spot in flight. They look nothing like the moths we usually see and many mimic bees and wasps quite convincingly. This is their main defense against predators and it allows them to be active during the day.

Engaging a wide diversity of community stewards from the everyday citizen to corporate groups shows that SPES is vested in long-term action and without such action, Greater Vancouver risks losing a significant portion of its biological richness.